Electrical game



May 10, 1932. UNKE 1,858,020

ELECTRICAL GAME Filedldarch 24, 1951' l NVEN TOR.

Elai/a Kim/(e.

'ATTQRNEY.

By Maw/ K Patented May 10, 1932 "UNITED STATES Parent OFFICE mvm LINKE, or nmna. oorommo ummcn' em Application and Mama :4, 1931. Serial m. 584,810.

the successful operation thereof, a consider- 5 able degree of skill and steadiness on the part of the player.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in such an apparatus, obstacles in the normal path of movement of the objects simulating the animals, so as to add to the difficulties of the operation thereof.

A further object is the provision, in such an a paratus, of means whereby the progress of a l of the objects simulating the animals stoppe by the arrival at the finish line of the object winning the race.

The foregolng objects will be amplified and other objects will appear in and from the following specification considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are for purposes of illustration and not intended as a definition of the invention, the invention being defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the various views:

Fig. I is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the complete game, a portion of the surface of the game board being cut away to disclose one of the operating units therebeneath.

Fig. II is a fragmentary section of the apparatus on line II-II in Fig. I. Fig. III is a section on line III-III in Fig. H. Fig. IV is a view of one of the objects simulating the animals to he raced, here represented as a turtle.

taking apart in the race, will be automaticallyv Fig. V is a bottom view of said object.

Fig. VI is a schematic diagram of the electric circuits involved.

The apparatus as here illustrated comprises a ta le to 1, of material having magnetie permeabi ity, and preferably being opaque glass. The top 1 is supported on the annular side 2 of the box, the bottom of which is designated as 3, said box being supported on suitable standards 4, the bottom of which box may be depressed as at 5 to accommod ate the central mechanism hereinafter described and as clearly illustrated in Fig. II.

The table top may be cut away at one slde as at 6 to facilitate the reaching of the center of the table.

At the center of the box there is provided a cylindrical member 7 in which the electrical wires may be encased and on which there are provided suitable electrical connections 8 for 70 the wires actuating the racing operating means hereinafter described and the member- 7 also provides anchors 9 for the retracting spring of the operating means, also hereinafter more specificall described.

Radially around said member 7 and within the box beneath the top 1, there are positioned a plurality of operating mechanisms, each comprising a-runway having sides 10 and a bottom 11, on which bottom is provided a rack 12, a second rack 13 being slidably mounted in the sides 10 near the top thereof. A pinion 14, intermediate of and engaging both of said racks, is actuated b handle on bar 16, pivotally attached to t e pinion 14 as at 17, and projecting through slots 18 in the side 2 of the box, whereby when the handle 15 is drawn outwardly away from the box, the rack 13 will move outwardly at a greater speed than that of the pinion and at the extremity of its movement will project through the slot 18 as clearly shown at theright in Fig. I.

The runway is pivotall mounted, as at 19, for lateral movement an at its outer end is provided with a caster or other suitable bearing 20, rollingly supporting the outer end of the runway upon the bottom 3 of the box,

whereby the runway ma be swung back- Ward and forward on t e pivot 19, such swinging being limited only by the ends of the slots 18.

' The rack 13 is provided at its inner end Carried on the inner end of the rack 13 is an electro-magnet 23, connected with the electrical source at connection 8 on the central member 11 by means of flexible wires 24, normall hanging within the depressedcentral portlon 5 of the box, but being of sufiicient length to permit the outward movement of the magnet 23 to the limit to which' it can be 1 carried by the outward movement of the rack I 13 above described. The magnet has a pole piece, 25, projecting upwardly therefrom, and held in sliding contact with the under side of the top. 1, by means of the spring 26 positioned between the magnet and the end of the rack 13, for exerting upward pressure on the magnet.

Any suitable means as post 27, may be provided for indicatingthe center of the table top, which top is provided with an outer rim 28 t'o-prevent objects dropping off the top of the table.

A double finish .line 2 9 is provided annularly near the edge of the top 1, and is suitably connected with the electrical source as hereinafter described. so that when any object contacts both members of said finish line, the electrical circuit connected with all of the operating members will be broken and all of I the electro-magnets will be tie-energized.

Objects 30, here represented as simulating turtles, are provided, on the underside of each of which is provided a metal ball 31, mounted in a socket 32. whereby the object will roll up'on the,ball, being kept in upright position by the legs33.

The objects 30 are placed upon the table, one object being placed above each magnet 23, wherebywhen the magnet is moved beneath the top 1, the object thereabove will tend to move therewith by reason of the magnetism permeating the top 1, and as the magnet 23 is moved outwardly by the player pulling on the handle 15 the object thereabove will tend to move outwardly with and above said magnet.

It will be understood that the current sup plied to the'magnet will be of such strength as to supply only a comparatively weak magnetism so that if the magnet be moved too Suddenly or too rapidly the magnetic connection between the pole 25 and the ball 31 on the object 30, will be broken and it will be runway, the rack 13 and the ma net 23 is rendered uncertain and more di cult than if the said rod 15 were rigidly attachedto the runway. v

Also it will be noted that various objects 33 indicated in Fig. I may be placed irregularly upon the top 1 for the urpose of hindering the direct moving 0? the object 30 from its initial point near the center of the top to the finish line and such objects are preferably so positioned as to make it neces- Y sary to move the object 30 in an irregular line from its start to the finish line.

\Vhere objects 30 simulate turtles,- the objects 33 may simulate stones, cacti, and other plants andobjeets which would naturall be found in places inhabited by turtles. lhe objects 33 may be varied to correspond with the nature of the animal simulated by the objects 30. j p

The game consists in collecting the objects 30 near the center of the top 1, each player having one of such objects 30 positioned immediately above the magnet 23, which will be operated by the handle 15 to be operated by such player. The player who can so skilfully manipulate the apparatus connected with the handle 15 operated by him as to cause the object 30 to first reach the finish line 29, wins the game, and when the object 30 reaches the finish line the ball 31 will rest upon and complete electrical connection between the two portions of the finish line 29, thereby breakmg the electric circuit which energizes all of the magnets 23 and automatically stopping the progress of all of said objects 30, whereby the relative positions of all of said objects may be determined so as to determine the relative standing of each player in the race.

A suitableguard rail 34, may be sup rted around the table by means 35, at a su cient distance from thetableto prevent the players interfering with the handles 15 and rods 16 of rack 13 when the same are extended to their limit from the rim of the table, all as clearly indicated in Fig. I.

Fig. VI illustrates the electric circuit by which the .various portions of the apparatus are energized and de-energized, and at this figure any suitable source of electric ower, which may be connected with an or inary light circuit, is indicated at-36. When the magnet,38 is energized by the closing of the circuit between the two parts of the finish line 29, the circuit is broken at switch 37. \Vhen the ma net 38 is de-energized the switch 37 may e operated either by gravity or by any suitable means to close the circuit.

Transformer 39 may be rovided for step- -pin' down the current as esired.

any changes in detail of construction, all within the scope and spirit of the foregoing description, and within the definition of the appended claims, will occur to those'skilled in the art and I do not wish to be limited to the vdetails of construction heretofore described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

It will be obvious that the opaqueness of the top 1 conceals the magnet, 23, from view,- thereby rendering more difiicult to reposition the magnet under the object 30 when magnet-ic connection therebetween has been broken.

It will also be obvious that the above described rack and pinion structure for movement of the magnets affords a rapid and extensivc movement of the magnetfor a comparatively slow and short movement of the handle 15, and also that such variance in movement renders enact control of the movement of the magnet by handle 15 indirect and difiicult.

I claim:

J 1. In a game apparatus a table having a magnetically permeable top, a lurality of electromagnets movable beneati said top,

means for manually moving said magnetsfrom center toward circumference of said top, objects carrying magnetic material and adapted to be moved over said top by the movement of said magnets and means near the circumierence of said top for automatically deenergizing said magnets when one of said objects engages said ale-energizing means.

2. In a game apparatus a table having a magnetically permeable top, a plurality of elcct-romagnets movable beneath said top, means for manually moving said magnets from center toward circumference of said to, objects carrying magnetic material and apted to be moved over said top by the movement-oi said matmets, means near the circumference of said top for automatically de-energiaing said magnets when one of said objects engages said de=energiaing means, and means for automatically retracting said magnets toward the center of said table when said manually operable means are released.

3. In a game apparatus a table having a magnetically permeable top, a plurality of clectromagnets movable beneath said top, means for manually moving said magnets from center toward circumference of said top, objects each, including a rolling sup; port of magnetic material, adapted to W moved over said top by the movement of the magnet therebeneath, and means near the circumference of said top for automatically ole-energizing said meets when one of said objects engages said ole-energizing means.

55 e. In a game apparatus a table having 9.

objects to avoid said magnetically permeable to objects freely movable over said top an each carrying magnetic material normally contacting wit said top as said object is moved thereover,

magnets beneath said top and adapted to ex-" crt magfietic force upon said objects through said top whereby to cause said objects to follow said magnets as the latter are moved, means for yieldingly holding said magnets near the center of said top, manually operat ed means for moving said magnets toward the periphery of said to 5. .In apparatus as defiiled in claim 4 said manually operated means for moving said magnets comprising a runway carrying a fixed rack and a movable rack, a pinion therebetween, means for manually moving the pinion on the fixed rack for moving the movable rack, the magnet being carried by the movable rack.

'6. In apparatus as defined in claim 4 said manually operated means comprising a runway pivoted for lateral movement and carrying a manually operable rack and pinion. the magnet being carried by a rack movable by said manual operation.

7. In apparatus as defined in claim 4, said manually operable means being mounted to swing laterally whereby the line of movemcnt of the magnet toward the circumference may be varied.

8. In apparatus as defined in claim 4 obstacles on saidtop to prevent straight line movement of said objects from center to circumference, said manually operable means being mounted to swing laterally whereby the line of movement of the magnet toward the circumference may be varied to cause said obstacles.

9. 1n apparatus as defined in claim 4, said table top being opaque whereby to conceal said magnets. v

10. In apparatus as defined in claim 4 resilient means for maintaining said magnet close to said table top during movement oi the magnet.

11. In a game apparatus a magnetically permeable table top, magnetic objects adapted to move thereover, electromagnets beneath said top carried by racks slidable in laterally swingable radially arranged runways, said racks being adapted to be slid and swung by manually operab e means, obstacles on said top to prevent direct radial movement of said objects and circular means near the circumference of said top for automatically de-energizing said magnets when contacted by one of said objects.

ln testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

, ELWN LINKE. 

